


Hold Me Close and Hold Me Fast

by eclare_writes



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Animal Traits, Cat Puns, Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Literal Sleeping Together, Sleep Deprivation, Sleepovers, Sleepy Kisses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-27
Updated: 2019-12-27
Packaged: 2021-02-24 16:21:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21980836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eclare_writes/pseuds/eclare_writes
Summary: Mari's having a rough night and her favorite boyfriend offers his warmth
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 7
Kudos: 117





	Hold Me Close and Hold Me Fast

Marinette stared at the ceiling above her bed. The sleeping pills weren’t kicking in. The lavender oil on her wrists was giving her a headache more than it was calming her. The chamomile tea she drank earlier in the night had settled in her stomach without much effect. She sighed and rolled onto her side, the heavy comforter on top of her twisting uncomfortably around her body. She pressed the button on her phone to glance at the time. 2:37AM. She’d gotten into bed five hours ago, deciding to turn in early after a long and unreasonably emotional day. Her body was aching from the cold, her mind taking the toll of the seasonal changes more than she would have liked, and she’d started crying at least six times throughout the day over the silliest things.

Thoughts of childhood flooded into her brain for some reason, and she felt the hot tears of melancholy flooding down her face before she realized they had welled up in her eyes. She unlocked her phone to see if there was a white noise playlist on spotify that she could try. Usually they kept her up, but there was no harm in at least trying to listen to calming noises. She scrolled through the recommended playlists and settled with one she’d listened to before on another night like this: “Cat Purring Sounds.” She pressed play, set a sleep timer, and placed the phone under her pillow. It couldn’t replace the warmth of the real thing, but it did help her calm down at least a little bit. She buried her face into the pillow as she twisted onto her stomach. She considered texting her boyfriend to come over and provide his warmth, but she didn’t want to bother him with her restlessness.

Then the tears were back. She didn’t know what it was this time. Not bothering to turn off the phone as it continued purring, she sat up and wrapped a blanket around her shoulders, grabbed a notebook, and climbed through the skylight and into the cold night air. She turned on the fairy lights that wrapped around the railing and snuggled herself into the lounge chair, tucking her feet under her legs and wrapping the blanket even closer. Her nose, cheeks, and ears were instantly chilled from the gentle breeze that hit her face, but she felt warm where it mattered. She had meant to write or draw something, but quickly realized her hands would get too cold. Maybe it was better to just sit in her blanket and watch the distant lights of the city and the stars. While it was cold out, the night was clear, and she could make out a few constellations despite the light pollution that leaked up from her city. She could also make out… a shadowy figure hopping between buildings? No. It must be her imagination. She shook her head and closed her eyes. He couldn’t be out at this time of night, he was supposed to be sticking to a strict sleep schedule unless there was an emergency.

She went back to looking up at the stars until she heard a distinct  _ thud  _ no more than a few feet from her. She’d kind of expected it, but was still surprised when she looked up and saw the slim, muscular figure of Paris’ own Chat Noir crouched in front of her.

“Hey kitty,” she said barely above a whisper.

“Hey princess,” he responded at the same volume before dropping his transformation. Adrien pushed back his wind-stirred hair and sat down in front of Marinette, propping his arms on the seat by her knees. She reached a hand from below her blanket and tucked it into his soft locks, gently stroking them back into place.

“What happened to your model sleep schedule?” she mused, not hiding the amusement in her voice.

“My bug senses were tingling and I couldn’t just ignore a damsel in distress,” he replied, a gentle and tired smile forming on his lips.

“Mhmm, sure,” she responded with a giggle as he wormed his arms under the blanket. He was in his pajamas, which were made up of a t-shirt, plaid pants, and bare feet. “What was it, really?”

“I’m guessing the same as you? I just…” he looked up at her, green eyes shining with tears despite his smile, “I couldn’t sleep. My mind won’t let me. And I missed you. I… I meant to just go out to clear my mind, but I saw your lights were on so I thought...” he trailed off.

Marinette gave him a soft smile and gently cupped his cheek with the arm that rested outside of the blanket. He smiled and closed his eyes, letting his head rest more firmly against her palm after twisting to kiss it. 

“You thought you could just show up on my balcony and we’d cuddle all night?” Marinette teased as she let her thumb rub small circles on his soft skin.

“Didn’t think,” he looked up at her with a grin, “I  _ knew _ . Remember? Bug senses.”

She laughed quietly, moving her hand to poke his nose, which made his grin grow even wider. Shaking her head, she stood up as he moved to fully open the skylight. He gave her a slight bow, raising his head to look at her with the cocky grin still planted on his face, “After you, m’lady.”

Marinette climbed down before Adrien plopped beside her on the bed, closing the skylight behind him. She nestled herself between the covers, not realizing just how cold she’d been on the balcony until she was wrapped in their warmth. Adrien climbed in beside her, getting comfortable on his back before Marinette twisted to have her head on his chest and stretched her arm across his stomach. As soon as they were settled in, Marinette heard it.

She had left her phone on. The quiet rumbling of artificial cat purrs came up from below the pillow that Adrien’s head was propped on. He must have heard it, because as she went to grab her phone from under him, he looked down at her with a dumb smile on his face.

“Looks like someone was missing me,” he said slyly as he sat up a little so she could better reach her phone. She turned it off, a blush seeping onto her cheeks and the tips of her ears.

“God forbid I miss my boyfriend when I can’t sleep,” Marinette pouted as she returned to her previous position on his chest. Adrien shifted his hand from under her so that he could stroke her hair.

“Why didn’t you text me? I would’ve come over if you’d asked,” he mumbled.

“I didn’t want to risk waking you up. You need your sleep just as much as I do. Plus, your bug senses figured it out, right?” she shifted her position so that she could look at him, chin resting on top of her hand on his chest. She felt the chuckle low in his chest more than she heard it.

Adrien carefully moved his arms around her and pulled her body up slightly so that her face was closer to his, “I guess they did. But you know you’re worth dark circles at a photoshoot, right?”

Marinette couldn’t stop the smile from appearing on her lips even if she wanted to. Adrien returned the smile as he moved to kiss her nose, which was so perfectly perched in front of him. His lips then trailed over to her cheek, up to her eyelid, then her forehead, then retraced their steps until they met her lips. The kiss was gentle and lazy. Adrien could feel the chapped skin beneath his own. As she parted her lips against his, he could taste the peppermint toothpaste and chamomile tea. The smell of lavender was suddenly overpowering him as an arm shifted to be between his head and the pillow. They separated as gently as they had come together, faces remaining close as they shared sleepy smiles.

Adrien gave a contented sigh as Marinette returned to her previous position on his chest. Somewhere within it was the soft rumbling of a purr. She placed an ear against his chest and let the sound envelop her as she gently stroked circles on his chest. His hand tucked itself into her hair as he returned the touches. He listened as Marinette’s breathing slowed and became a slight snore that accompanied his purring. At some point in watching her sleeping form, the exhaustion that filled his body overcame him and he joined her in a dreamless sleep, tangled up and warm in her embrace.

**Author's Note:**

> I uploaded this on tumblr a while ago and forgot about it until now
> 
> https://eclare-draws.tumblr.com/post/188887723177/hold-me-close-and-hold-me-fast


End file.
